Dear Tekno, You Are Still An Upcoming Artiste, Accept the Headies Next Rated Award

Following Tekno's open show of displeasure after he was named among the nominees for the Next Rated category at the 2016 Headies Awards, Joey Akan has written about the controversial matter.

Tekno

For Tekno to fully claim to be a bona fide star who has peaked, he has to diversify his artistry, and provide more than just singles to back that claim up. He needs albums, he needs to sell records, he needs to be more than what he is now.

There’s a popular saying originating from the Igbos (the predominant tribe in Eastern Nigeria where Tekno has his roots,) which says: “Adikwana ka nwa nza rijulu afo, we je chere chi ya aka mgba.” This saying translates into English as “Do not be like the little nza bird that ate and drank and challenged his personal god to a combat.”

In other words, do not test fortune, or be disrespectful to fate higher powers, just because you are on a good run.

Tekno has shown immense arrogance, disrespect and ingratitude towards Nigeria’s most prestigious awards, The Headies, and worse still, the organizers and owners of the platform – HipTV.

The star was nominated for the Next Rated category, but his hit singles ‘Duro’ and ‘Pana’ failed to make the list, due to no one’s fault. Why was ‘Duro’ and ‘Pana’, the hottest singles of the singer missing from the list? Why didn’t these songs which has rocked Nigeria from every corner sit tall on the list?

The answer is no one’s fault. This isn’t a conspiracy to shut out the boy wonder from the awards, neither was politics a huge part of it. Tekno submitted his singles as entries for the awards. But in a classic case of coincidence, bad luck or poor karma, his release dates for the singles worked against him.

The year in review for the Headies 2016 states that every project released in the time frame of July 2015 – June 2016 will be considered. Tekno’s hit songs did not fall in the dates. ‘Duro’ was released in June 2015, essentially disqualifying it from consideration, and our current pop drug, ‘Pana’ was let fly in July 2016. That means his singles were released a month before and a month after consideration.

That has to hurt. Everyone understands that. But it is no one’s fault. But as consolation and a representation of his current status, he is nominated for the prestigious and rewarding Next Rated category, which is a voting category for the most promising upcoming act in the year under review.

Tekno has been far from promising. He has soared in the past two years, and the Next Rated trophy looks like it belongs to him already on paper.

But it could have been more for him. Without the eligibility of ‘Duro’ and ‘Pana’, which are sure-fire award-winning materials, it feels a bit short for him. In many ways, he is the biggest loser of the Headies, who will be left ruing what would have been.

But instead of taking this as a mistake, and graciously accepting his nomination with thanksgiving, he had to rubbish it too, disrespectfully. The ‘Pana’ hit-maker has now questioned the sense in his nomination as a contender for the ‘Next Rated’ award with a post on Instagram. ‘Next rated after how many years! Let’s be honest pls’

The Headies awards state that “This category is a voting category for the most promising upcoming act in the year under review.” He is nominated alongside, Ycee, Mr Eazi, Humblesmith and Aramide. And let’s be honest, in the year under review, and even at the moment, Tekno is still a very promising upcoming act. The bloke only began professional music in 2012, when he released his debut single ‘Holiday’ featuring Davido. That’s just four years ago.

Tekno remained in the backwaters of Nigerian entertainment until 2015, when ‘Duro’ and ‘Wash’ propped him up, and in 2016, ‘Pana’ made him stay winning. Technically, Tekno only has a 4 hit songs including the 2014 suggestive hit, ‘Dance’. That’s measly, in terms of number of accepted songs. He has no album, neither does he boast of an EP. Tekno’s entire discography consists of loose tracks scattered all around the internet, and he honestly believes that he isn’t upcoming anymore.

That’s delusional.

Tekno is still an upcoming act who has shown promise and is on the rise. He is yet to tap into new territories in terms of artistic delivery. This era has Tekno who is working with a formula that has propelled him to become the prince of African music. There’s a certain method to the production of ‘Duro’, ‘Wash’, ‘Where’, ‘Pana’ and ‘Diana’ that remains consistent, even in the audio and video conceptualization; Dedicate it to a girl, use a catchword/catchphrase, and infuse humor over a mid-tempo beat. Dance for that pretty, light skinned vixen in the visual, and you will score great points.

For Tekno to fully claim to be a bona fide star who has peaked, he has to diversify his artistry, and provide more than just singles to back that claim up. He needs albums, he needs to sell records, he needs to be more than what he is now.

Until then, he has to stay humble, accept what comes to him, and earn higher positions via putting in the work, not rejecting the goodness that the industry gives to him out of a false sense of achievement. Doing that is tantamount to spitting in the face of your good fortune, and testing the powers that set you up for success.